Students Shine at 2026 Sand Hills Region IV Science and Engineering Fair Hosted at GSSM

HARTSVILLE, S.C. — March 27— The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) hosted the 2026 Sand Hills Region IV Science and Engineering Fair on Friday, March 13, welcoming student researchers from across the region to campus for a day of scientific inquiry and innovation.

Students in fifth through twelfth grade representing Darlington, Florence, Horry, Lee, and Marlboro counties presented original research projects spanning a wide range of STEM disciplines. More than 90 students and 60 projects participated in this year’s fair.

The competition featured two divisions: the Junior Division (grades 5-8) and the Senior Division (grades 9-12). The overall Senior Division winning project advances to represent the Sand Hills Region IV at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, to be held May 9-15 in Phoenix.

“The Sand Hills Regional Science Fair reflects GSSM’s commitment to strengthening South Carolina’s STEM pipeline and serving as a resource to communities across the state,” said Dr. Neval Erturk, GSSM executive director for research, global and innovation initiatives. “It showcases the creativity, dedication and enthusiasm that South Carolina’s young people bring to scientific discovery.”

Top Overall Awards

• Junior Division Best in Fair and GSSM GoSciTech Award: Lea Winslow, Mt. Gilead Academy, “God Spoke and It was So: The Effects of Words on Pansies”
• Senior Division Best in Fair and Society for Science Award: Snikitha Garapati, GSSM, “Generation and Expansion of MART-1 Antigen-Specific T Cells for Immunological Assays”

Junior Division Category Winners

• Behavioral and Social Sciences: Lea Winslow (Mt. Gilead Academy)
• Biochemistry: Devyn Patchett (Williams Middle School)
• Biological Sciences: Jerome Durant (Lee Central Middle School)
• Chemistry: Emma Crayton (Williams Middle School)
• Earth and Environmental Sciences: Natalie Nelson, Tucker Holland and Arianna Zacharopoulos (Holy Trinity Catholic School)
• Engineering, Computer Science and Material Science: Ashish Vashisht (Williams Middle School)
• Physics and Astronomy: Sebastian Briggs and Isaac Laing (Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success)

Senior Division Category Winners

• Engineering and Mathematics: Vishwanth Bolisetty (GSSM)
• Natural Sciences: Snikitha Garapati (GSSM)

Senior Division Special Awards

• Citadel Securities Innovation Prize: Asha Kaikini (GSSM)
• Coker University Scientific Achievement Award: Willena Bradley and Sa'Nai Shannon (Lee Central High School)
• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Award: Ansh Dwivedi (GSSM)
• Regeneron Biomedical Science Award: Snikitha Garapati (GSSM)
• Ricoh Sustainable Development Award: Ansh Dwivedi (GSSM)
• Society for In Vitro Biology Award: Shermerce Charles, Geniya Williams and Rhayne Wilson (Lee Central High School)
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize: Sinatra Rembert, Sa’Nai Shannon and JaSiyah Williams (Lee Central High School)
• U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Award: Haashini Baskaran, Vishwanth Bolisetty and Lily Cho (GSSM)
• U.S. Metric Association Science Fair Award: Willena Bradley (Lee Central High School)
• Yale Science and Engineering Association Award: Sy'Heed Byrd, Julianne Rogers and Geniya Williams (Lee Central High School)

More information about GSSM is available at scgssm.org.